Because of the governor's stay-at-home order, the Town of Mammoth Lakes and Mono County have restricted rentals at homes, hotels and campgrounds to non-essential persons through June 30. 

But 395 traffic data and traffic around town make it clear that many guests are choosing to visit the Eastern Sierra despite the lack of accommodation.  And why wouldn't you want to? Its a breathtaking escape and distant by nature.

If you do choose to visit the Eastern Sierra during this time, either as an essential traveler, a day-tripper, or a dispersed camper, it is important that you reduce risk of Covid exposure to yourself and others, follow local norms, and protect the land by following a few simple guidelines::

Check out our tips based on the 7 principles of Leave No Trace:

1. Be considerate of others by respecting the community vibe and ordinances for social distancing and mask wearing.

• Mammoth residents are excited to welcome guests back but are worried about a possible spike in Covid cases due to an influx of travelers. If you travel to Mono County, please respect social norms and ordinances which require masks and physical distancing.
• Some stores (like Von's) have floors marked for 1-way traffic in isles and all stores require that customers wait at a safe distance while checking out.
• On trails, pathways, and in the community, please observe 6 feet of physical distancing from persons not related to you.

2. Plan ahead and prepare to follow Covid-19 ordinances and community norms.

• Bring a mask and wear it for all indoor activities. Mono County requires masks be worn in all indoor settings and most stores will require one. 
• Carry a mask for all outdoor activities and wear it when passing persons who are not related to you.

• Plan ahead for outdoor activity but also be prepared for change. Most bathrooms are closed. Most trailheads are open. Developed campgrounds are closed. But things are changing by the second.
• Bring hand sanitizer -- opportunities to wash hands with soap and water are limited.

3. Travel and camp on durable surfaces and avoid crowded areas where physical distancing may be difficult.

• If you plan to disperse camp, please do not disturb the forest by parking/camping in a virgin area.
• If you arrive at a trailhead or outdoor area and find that it is crowded, please choose another location.
• Please do not gather with crowds or groups of persons unrelated you.

4. Dispose of waste properly.

• Most bathrooms at trailheads are not open. If you have to "go," and cannot find a bathroom, please be responsible about your waste. For a list of bathrooms that are open along HWY 395, click here.
• Do not dump waste tanks in the forest.
• Pack it in and carry it out. It is true that disposing of waste is difficult when so many areas are closed and there are no services. But please respect the land and carry your rubbish with you and dispose of it properly.

5. Minimize campfire impacts (be careful with fire).

• Due to our low snow year and windy conditions, fire risk is high.
• Fires are prohibited when dispersed camping. Just last week a camper started a fire close to Bridgeport which could have been devastating and threatened the land as well as homes.

6. Respect wildlife.

• With wildlife habitats more crowded than ever with dispersed campers and hikers seeking recreation, its is vital that we all respect wildlife.
• Protect our bears by storing food and waste safely.
• Be attentive while driving on highways and roads. Deer and other animals are migrating, and their activity inceases at sunset. Many of these animals will be crossing the 395 and are difficult to see in the low light. Be prepared to stop suddenly as they may dart out suddenly.

7. Leave what you find.

• Some souvenir shops are open for curbside pick up and some are also open for physically distanced foot traffic. Please buy your treasures at a shop, don't take them from the forest or lands.

Times are tough. Work and other essential travel keeps the 395 busy with traffic but when you gotta 'go,' where do you go in the Covid-19 era?

I'll admit that as a mom of 4 boys, I've had to stop the car *many* times to let them do what all boys (that I've raised, anyway) love to do -- pee behind a bush.  We've been forced to do this more recently, when we were unable to find a developed bathroom because of Covid closures. 

Its also obvious from the bottles filled with urine that line the roadside that some travelers are irresponsibly tossing their plastic-covered waste onto the land. Please be respectful of our Eastern Sierra home. If you pee in a bottle, please dispose of it in a rubbish bin, not on the land. And particularly if you have to do 'big business' in the wild, be responsible and pack it out or handle it responsibly using a (very deep) cat hole.

To solve these issues as much as possible, here's our list of where you can 'go' along the 395. Have an update for me? Please contact me using the chat button at the bottom right of your screen. I'll keep updating this list!

Coso Junction Rest Area
Crestview Rest Area
Division Creek Rest Area

Carl's Jr in Bishop
Bishop park next to Amigo's restaurant

Fort Independence Gas Station & Casino
Pearsonville Shell & Subway

Bathrooms NOT Open
McDonald's in Lone Pine
Subway in Lone Pine

What a wild ride this has been! But you, our guests, have been so kind, so understanding, so patience as we have all muddled our way through the chaos that Covid19 brought to your spring plans and our bookings.

Truth is, we had emergency plans in place. We'd managed avalanches,wildfires, medical emergencies with our guests. We'd helped many with travel troubles and dramatic personal issues. But nothing. Nothing. had prepared us for the sudden upheaval that Covid19 brought to our business, our guests, and our staff. 

Hearing you share your disappointment of weddings cancelled, family reunions postponed, long-dreamt-of trips delayed was an important part of our journey through the last months, and we are grateful that you shared your troubles with us.

Despite our usual cancelation policy, we were able to work with guests to find resolutions to most of the booking delimmas. Thank you, guests, for taking time to understand the needs of our home owners who have contractual cancelation policies in place to protect themselves from loss. And for recognizing that this pandemic is devastating to guests and owners alike.

Moving forward, we appreciate that making plans is still difficult when there continues to be so much uncertainty. Mammoth and Mono County are working toward a June 1 open date, but even that is not yet certain.

In the meantime, we will be using flexible policies to assist guests:

• Guests who book future stays with before an official Mammoth open date is announced can cancel 24 hours prior to checkin and receive a full refund or choose to reschedule their stay if Mammoth does not open prior to your travel.
• If you book a future trip and your stay in our home is prohibited by the town of Mammoth, we will refund you fully or reschedule your stay if you choose.
• If you book with us and would like to cancel for another extenuating circumstance related to Covid19 but you are within your non-cancelation window, we will help you to reschedule your stay for a future date in 2020-21. Amount paid will be credited toward the future stay. 

If you have questions, feel free to contact Mary Beth by clicking on the "Chat with Us" message bubble on the lower right hand of this page. 

Dang. What day is it? For that matter, what month is it?

The struggle is real to come up with ways to describe our current situation because I have a long list of sayings that I would never like to hear -- much less use -- again:

• uncertain times
• the new normal
• unprecendented moment
• abundance of caution

But like most super-annoying, trite colloquialisms, these phrases are over-used because they are also accurate, and necessary.

So rather than blather on, I'll just leave this here: despite a frightening early peak of cases, Mammoth and Mono County stayed strong and they have crushed the curve.

Early on, Mammoth Mountain shut down operations and Mono County and Mammoth Lakes activated a Emergency Operations Center. They actively discouraged visitors (and even second home owners) from traveling in. Largely because of the adoption of fairly extreme distancing measures, the EOC had time to manage the local Covid-19 situation and increase healthcare capacity. 

As of today, no one is hospitalized for Covid 19 in Mono County. There have been 29 positive Covid-19 tests of 313 tests given.

Mammoth is now working toward a June 1 opening to visitors and we are also hoping to be allowed to host visitors soon. 

For the most up-to-date info about the situation in Mammoth, visit the Mono County Covid-19 portal.

Have we missed something? Please feel free to send us a message if we've left anything out that you feel is important.

Wellness:

• We ask that guests self-assess for health and Covid-19 exposure prior to traveling. Click here to take our Covid-19 self-assessment.
• Our crew will also be directed to use the self-assessment prior to working and to report fever or symptoms of illness immediately.

Staff and Guest Interaction:

• We will continue no-contact check-in/check-out by using keyless check-in and self check-out.
• Housekeeping and/or maintenance will no longer enter homes while guests are present, except in an emergency. 
• If mid-stay emergency cleaning or maintenance are required, we will make every effort to perform those services while guests are not present. 
• If emergency direct interaction is required, our staff will be directed to wear a mask and gloves. We will ask guests to wear a mask and use 6 foot distancing during the interaction.

Supplies:

• We will leave a bottle of hand sanitizer for you as our gift. Please use it during your stay and take it with you when you leave.
• Kleenex and other paper goods will be replaced at each stay. Feel free to take opened/partially-used paper goods with you upon departure.
• There are many spices and staples in our kitchens which may have been used by other guests. If this is a concern for you, we encourage you not to use those items but to bring your own.
• If you are concerned about using dishes and utensils from our kitchens, please feel free to bring your own. Please be cautious not to inadvertently take ours home, though.

Bedding:

• We will temporarily remove all throw pillows and other unnecessary bedding. Feel free to bring your own if you feel these are necessary for your stay.
• We will not provide extra bedding without prior notice. If you will need additional bedding (for an air-up, rollaway, pack-n-play etc), please notify us at least 3 days prior to check in.
• As always, all bedding and toweling will be laundered between stays.
• As always, mattresses and pillowcas will be covered in protective encasements.
• If you prefer to supply your own linen, we are happy to accommodate that. Please let us know at least 3 days prior to check-in so that we can strip our linen prior to your arrival.

High Touch Items:

• As always, high-touch items will be disinfected between stays.
• We will provide our crew with a list of high-touch items and areas that require diligent cleaning.

Timing:

• When feasible, units will be left empty for 24-72 hours between guests.
• Natural airing & ventilation will be used to improve safety for guests and staff.
• When 24-72 hours downtime is not feasible, we will direct cleaning staff to wear N95 masks, gloves, and disposable gowns.